A CHRONICLE OF SUMMER OLYMPICS:
1896, ATHENS:
The Olympics returned to their birthplace of Greece in the Summer of 1896. The capital city, Athens was chosen to host the event. The first modern Olympiad was held from April 6th until April 15th, and it was officially opened by King George I of Greece at the Panathinaiko Stadium.
1900, PARIS:
The Games of 1900 were held in Paris as part of the Exposition Universelle Internationale – the Paris World Fair. The exposition organizers spread the events over five months and sot the importance of the games was diminished. Women made their first appearance in the modern Olympic Games.
1904, ST. LOUIS, U.S.A
The 1904 St. Louis Olympics organizers repeated all the mistakes of 1900. The Olympic competitions, spread out over four and a half months, were lost in the chaos of a World Fair. Of the 94 events generally considered to have been part of the Olympic programme, only 42 included athletes who were not from the United States. The 1904 Olympics did have a few highlights. They were the first at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for first, second and third places.
1908, LONDON
The 1908 Olympics were originally awarded to Rome, but were signed to London. At the opening ceremony, the athletes marched into the stadium in groups representing different nations. Most countries sent selected national teams. Archery and figure skating were added to the sports for women. Most of the women’s events were won by the British. At the age of 60, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn won three Medals in shooting. He also won a silver medal in the 1920 Olympics when he was 72 years Old!
1912, STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
The 1912 Olympics were a model of efficiency. The modern pentathlon, women’s swimming and diving were introduced to the Olympic programme. If there was an unofficial theme of the 1912 Games, it was endurance. The course for the cycling was 320 kms, the longest race in Olympic history. In Greco-Roman wrestling, the middleweight semi final lasted eleven hours!
1920, ANTWERP
The 1916 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Berlin, but were cancelled because of World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honour the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war. The opening ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag and the presentation of the athletes oath. In an awe-inspiring performance, Nedo Nadi of Italy earned gold medals in five of the six fencing events. Ethelda Bleibtrey of the U.S won gold medals in all three women’s swimming contests.
1924, PARIS
At this Games, the Olympic motto, ‘Citius, Altius, Fortius’, was introduced, as was the closing ceremony ritual of raising three flags the flag of the IOC, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation. The number of participating nations rose from 29 to 44, signalling widespread acceptance of the Olympics as a major event, as did the presence of 1,000 journalists.
1928, AMSTERDAM
The Amsterdam Olympics of 1928 were held in an atmosphere of peace and harmony that preceded twenty years of economic uncertainty and war. There was a human interest story in this Olympics. The Australian Rower Henry Pearce, Midway through his quarterfinal race, stopped rowing to allow a family of ducks to pass single file in front of his boat. Pearce won the race anyway and, later, the gold medal as well!
